Sensor networks enable sensor data from remote sensors to be transported within data packets to a destination controller, for example an executable application configured for monitoring the sensor data. The remote sensors (e.g., video cameras, weather sensors, etc.) can be implemented as sensor host nodes configured for forming a layer 2 wireless mesh network, configured for reaching the destination controller, based on relaying or “flooding” sensor data throughout the mesh network (i.e., “gossiping”). Centimeter-sized (or smaller) sensor host nodes, referred to as “sensor dust”, have limited battery life and therefore are limited in their ability in relaying data packets from other sensor host nodes throughout the wireless mesh network. Mobile routers also can be deployed to form the mesh network, enabling the sensor host nodes to be implemented for example as wireless IPv6 host nodes. Hence, the mobile routers forming the mesh network can serve as default gateways for the sensor host nodes, enabling transport of the data packets transmitted by the sensor host nodes and carrying the sensor data to the destination controller via the mesh network.
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) also has a working group, entitled “IPv6 over Low power Wireless Personal Area Networks” (“6loWPAN”), investigating IPv6 transport of sensor data from sensor host nodes in a sensor network implemented, for example, using a Personal Area Network (PAN) such as an IEEE 802.15.4 network.